Scorn
Evanescence

The stylistic-musical evolutionary journey that has defined the work of former Napalm Death drummer Mick Harris concludes with this chapter. This can be said based on two observations:

- Considering the musical starting point, characterized by the extreme version of metal and punk-core that took shape in "grind-core" (hyperkinetic, syncopated, and compressed rhythms, guttural singing, ultra-distorted guitars), the dilation of time and rarefaction of atmospheres achieved here, combined with the refinement reached at the sound level, represent a point of no return beyond which there is, perhaps, only silence (or a concept very similar to "isolationist ambient" at the basis of the parallel Lull project by the indefatigable Harris, or the idea of "drumless space" from Main).

- Because from a qualitative perspective, this (mini?)-album is an unsurpassed pinnacle: a masterpiece of rare sonic and rhythmic perfection and an amazingly innovative work. Parallel to the adventure of former bandmate Justin Broadrick, guitar-leader of Napalm Death and author with his Godflesh of milestones like "Streetcleaner," or industrial-grind masterpieces like "Slavestate," or techno-metal like "Pure," Harris (aided in this project by Nicholas Bullen) proves once again how extreme experiences can be a source of inspiration for something unheard-of and innovative: Scorn is the expression of a genius talent that touches every aspect of contemporary music at 360° (as it was for the "post" Sex Pistols, an experience of reaction and break from the past, with the extraordinarily innovative and pioneering Public Image Ltd project by John Lydon).

Of the three chapters of Scorn's work, this certainly represents the most complete and accomplished synthesis between electronics (in truth, overwhelmingly predominant) and "metal" sounds (increasingly "distant"). If "Vae Solis" impressed with its eclectic character of a monolithic work that alternated the power of extremely hard techno-grind episodes ("Hit," "Spasm"), dense industrial-metal with a psychedelic electronic component ("Heavy Blood," "On Ice"), or almost ambient ("Thoughts of Escape") static and suspended, "Colossus" decisively marked the turn towards "heavy dub": extremely heavy drumming, more electronic, dark, and claustrophobic atmospheres, distorted and "overturned" bass, similar to the aforementioned "Metal Box" by Public Image Ltd: all with more stylistic uniformity. The interlude with the mini-CD "Deliverance" clearly indicated the new frontier of the Scorn project, in terms of thesynthesis between psychedelic electronics, ambient-dub, and avant-garde industrial. This "Evanescence" is proof of it. If an episode like "Night Tide," with its piano solo, obsessive and repeated rhythm, elusive voice, manages to combine electro loops of excellent quality with vaguely industrial percussiveness, "Light Trap" built on a funk groove yet wrapped in a disturbing electronic atmosphere, bordered by industrial noises and pervaded by ethereal voices from cyberspace in the style of Clock DVA, the episodes from which the basic compositional scheme of Scorn is most evident are "Dreamspace," a jewel of cinematic art in rhythmics, dub inflections, and spatiality, and "Automata," where more ethereal loops are juxtaposed with pounding techno percussion reminiscent of the first "Vae Solis," the piece being extraordinary for the continuous interruptions of the circular rhythmic structure to make room for nocturnal and haunting melodic interludes: almost a hypnotic "suite" for piano and drum-machine, on the border between classical and electronic.
Pure ambient totally devoid of percussion, consisting of drones and almost "solar" symphonies left to float freely for about three minutes in "Slumber," while "Exodus" offers a sampling of almost "ethnic" tribal rhythms overlaid with a rhythmically almost techno-pop imprint, sounds between post-wave and very slowed ebm, sung with meaningful phrases, no longer orbiting vocal fragments around Mercury and Pluto: practically the most accessible track of the album. "The End," similarly to the former, impresses for the rhythmic virtuosity, while "Silver Rain Fell" seems an unsettling Suicide-Portishead pastiche in a post-industrial key.

We could look for many other references and (probably) find them, but perhaps it's better to dive into this music, to experience the feeling of a journey. In conclusion, this work, crafted through a refined and complex juxtaposition of successive layers, reaching something that if not perfection resembles it closely, closes a cycle as stated at the beginning. And it poses a question, no longer deferrable if one wants to think with a truly broad horizon about Contemporary Music: assuming it ever existed, does the implicit acknowledgment of the boundary between "art" Music (Classical, for instance) and "pop/rock/electronic" still make sense?